Breaking it barriers and improving data center efficiency

Virtualization is a challenge for the IT department of the Enterprise. In fact, I've come to realize that the division of it divisions within the enterprise--such as networks, storage, and server management groups--actually lowers productivity and data center efficiencies, contrary to the original business vision. However, virtualization can improve data center efficiency and operational capabilities and reduce overall management costs if appropriate policies and approaches are in use.

Division of IT organizations is a legacy of the physical architecture system. The first wave of virtualization is not a significant challenge for traditional IT departments. But as more companies turn to the cloud, many CIOs are considering whether the traditional physical schema management model still applies to cloud data centers.

It is still not too early to break down traditional it divisions, even as companies have just stepped into the cloud. The following steps will create a new, open it architecture with the ultimate goal of improving data center efficiency and productivity.

First step: Open virtualization Layer

In short, I believe that the existing IT departments need access to the virtual architecture components. This kind of access requires at least a sense of the current role and responsibility division.

In other words, you do not need to open all virtualization management permissions for network and storage administrators. But at least let them see the virtual architecture's consumption of physical resources.

Most virtualization management systems such as VMware vcenter support such hierarchical authorization. Vcenter integrates role-based access control (RBAC), which allows you to create user roles, copy, and crop portions of the content. At the very least, storage and network management groups can learn how virtualization platforms consume their own managed resources, which makes them feel better about the interoperability of their platforms.
　
In addition, I think this virtualization management is new to all IT administrators. Because this pattern gradually frees IT management groups from the traditional management systems and command-line tools they are accustomed to. If possible, you can integrate management tools into a single interface to gradually feel the process.

Step two: Adapt to the new way of doing things

Manufacturers continue to release new products that can greatly improve the efficiency of the data center. If you have not contacted, I recommend that you start using the storage plug-in. Dell, EMC, and NetApp have released the appropriate software to extend VMware vsphere client functionality.

These plug-ins allow an administrator to distribute new LUNs or volumes and mount the ESX host access within a cluster. They can also support more efficient virtual machine clones than traditional vcenter systems.

This feature is particularly useful in virtual desktop environments, where many major storage vendors support the creation of desktop system groups through their own internal cloning tools. These pools are typically created by vendors that are more scalable than VMware's link clones and are not limited by the maximum number of eight nodes in the cluster host.

Finally, these tools typically support the snapshot management capabilities of the storage vendor via vsphere client invocation. This allows administrators to load snapshots and restore virtual machines based on parameters set by the storage vendor. Based on this, users are no longer limited to Vsphere's built-in snapshot capabilities.

More meaningfully, these plug-ins are more mature and efficient at distributing and consuming resources, and integrate different management interfaces of the IT department.

Step three: Security changes enhance data center efficiency

It personnel have long relied on security issues (whether true or false) to reject changes and improvements. There are many reasons behind this behavior, such as fear of change or fear of job security. However, these actions may affect the adoption of new security tools and the loss of protection against new hazards.

Recently, I have been exposed to VMware VShield, especially the endpoint feature. This feature no longer requires the addition of anti-virus clients to the child operating system. Endpoint, with the help of the central management platform and the Av-scan function provided by the auxiliary virtual application, frees up CPU resources and can provide protection for all virtual machines on the ESX host. Overall, its installation and configuration is very simple. Manageability and low CPU consumption are all advertised as selling points.

Of course, VShield opponents will point out that some of the existing security technologies already provide the appropriate functionality for the suite's products. That's true. But if you have some gaps from 100% virtualization, it's important to have a physical layer of security tools.

But many companies are still deploying old security tools because the new tools represent threats to jobs and job security. As new tools pose a risk to old ways of working, it is not surprising to hear some objections.

But virtual security tools such as VShield can break the barriers between the virtual and physical worlds. Security experts should be actively aware of virtualization security tools. In this way, the attention of the stubborn security personnel has to turn to the security problem-the virtual machine.

These recommendations are just a few ways to help IT departments process operations and eliminate it barriers. But in the next section you will learn that there is only so much work that IT departments and organizations can do. They need manufacturers to tailor products to adapt to this new thinking and working model.

TechTarget Chinese original content, original link: http://www.searchvirtual.com.cn/showcontent_63235.htm?lg=t

(Responsible editor: Lu Guang)